It looks like the cat is out of the Clean Line Plains & Eastern bag. Now these Texas snake oil salesmen and their filthy rich foreign investors will no longer be able to operate their scheme under the public radar without scrutiny. A U.S. Senator and Representative from Tennessee have examined Clean Line's business plan and don't seem to like it.The elected representatives are taking their responsibilities to provide oversight of federal action seriously. The congressmen believe they should have a say in the matter because Clean Line's preferred customer for its Plains & Eastern line is federal power marketer Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Senator Alexander said, “It’s up to the TVA board to decide what kinds of electricity to generate and purchase. But it is the responsibility of members of Congress to provide oversight to TVA policies, and these questions are part of that oversight.”

The TVA recently extended a "Memorandum of Understanding" with Clean Line. The MOU simply states that the TVA will study a possible interconnection with its system and consider Clean Line's idea in its integrated resource plan, due later this year. It does not obligate TVA to buy power. It's really a pretty worthless document -- lots of fluff and bluster about "clean" energy and absolutely no substance. But, that was probably Clean Line's intent in the first place -- to give the impression that TVA was an eager customer, even though that's just not true. It doesn't matter what the actual document does or says, it's all about appearances. Clean Line has used it as something to drop into regulatory applications, public meetings and press releases.... "Clean Line's MOU with the TVA." Oooooh! Lots of acronyms, must be important... not. It's exactly what it appears to be, there is no mystery.It appears that no one has bothered to inform the representatives that Clean Line is also attempting to utilize Sec. 1222 of the federal 2005 Energy Policy Act to grant the company federal eminent domain power to condemn land for its 750-mile transmission line through Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee. I think the representatives could be even more effective asking the U.S. Department of Energy questions about this federal process. This is certainly within their jurisdiction.But, for now, the reps have set their sights on asking the TVA the hard questions, such as:

1) Does purchasing electricity from this distance increase security threats to the TVA’s power supply? Former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz has said we should pay attention to generating more energy where we use it because of national security risks.

2) What is the cost of purchasing wind electricity compared to TVA generating or purchasing other types of electricity generation?

3) There is substantial opposition in Congress to the wind production tax credit. Will TVA ratepayers be at risk of increased rates if the wind production tax credit is not renewed?

4) What is the reliability of purchasing wind power as compared to other types of electricity generated by natural gas, nuclear, coal, or hydropower?

5) TVA’s peak power demands tend to be between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and wind tends to mostly blow at night. How does wind power fit into TVA’s overall demand structure if the electricity isn’t being produced when TVA needs it the most?

6) At a roundtable in September 2013, hosted by Senators Corker and Alexander, you said that TVA didn’t need additional electricity generation capacity as the result of reduced electricity demand. Has this projection changed?

7) If the projection for TVA’s electricity demand has changed since September 2013, does it make more sense to purchase this wind power from Clean Line Energy Partners, to build additional nuclear capacity, or to build additional natural gas or coal capacity?

8) Does Clean Line Energy Partners’ proposal require the use of eminent domain in order to acquire any right-of-way for this project? How many land owners or homeowners will be impacted by the use of eminent domain, what specific lands will be acquired and where are they located?

9) Can you explain how Clean Line Energy Partners plans to compensate any landowners or homeowners who are affected by eminent domain?

10) How will the price of compensation be determined? Does Clean Line Energy Partners have a specific formula when compensating for land purchased under the use of eminent domain?

11) What funding stream will Clean Line Energy Partners use to compensate landowners and homeowners for the land purchased under eminent domain?

In response, Clean Line's spit-tastic president, Michael Skelly, tried some of his best arrogance to insist that his project was the best option for the TVA. He even included some prices that are pure speculation. Senator Alexander wasn't impressed.

"TVA should and will make a decision that is in its best interests, but we believe this would provide a clean, reliable and cost-competitive source of power that would not increase in price over the next 25 to 30 years," said Mike Skelly, founder and president of Clean Line Energy.

Clean Line estimates the wind power could be delivered to TVA for 4 cents to 6 cents per kilowatthour, which would make it generally competitive to other new sources of energy for TVA.

But Alexander questioned whether TVA needs more power with the slowdown in the growth of electricity demand. He also questioned whether wind would become more expensive if federal production credits given for new windmills are not extended.

It's about time someone with authority lets a little sunshine into Clean Line's uneconomic business plan. There's been entirely too much secrecy and too many closed door meetings with the federal government over the past 5 years. The representatives deserve the thanks of all affected landowners across three states who have been threatened by this company. Please let them know what you think:Senator AlexanderRepresentative FincherAnd be sure to connect with the grassroots group organizing against Clean Line in Arkansas -- Arkansas Citizens Against Clean Line Energy.

Wow, Keryn Newman, you sure are proud of yourself. The idea that you think this blog makes a difference is laughable.

It might if it had a shred of credibility, but you can't oppose everything and be credible. This is just a maniacal diatribe of an idiot who feels empowered by other idiots just as ignorant as she. Anyone can do a blog like this and get follower.

It’s very easy to get people to not like big towers, who does, but those same people like electricity. The same people also want clean air and you could just as easily write a blog about how bad pollution is and, of course, other people with no lives will comment and make you feel special even though everyone opposes pollution, duh. The line you wrote about here delivers renewable power to markets that currently use coal power. To oppose it you oppose renewables and support dirty coal plants that belch pollution. But it’s towers you don’t like.

No one that has any say over any of these situations would be influenced by your blog because it just opposes everything and offers no alternatives or even ideas on alternatives. It’s just a rant. Anyone can rant.

How do you get power to your house, or the computer you use to write this dribble, if not from power transmitted on transmission lines.

The best way to stop a transmission line is to eliminate the need for it by eliminating the consumption of power. If you really want to do something about it, do not use power produced by power companies delivered to your home over power lines and spend your time promoting distributed generation and efficiency. Otherwise you are just a hypocrite.

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?

5/14/2014 01:22:06 pm

Is that the official opinion of your publication, Aaron, or your personal opinion? Patience is right. You must really hate bloggers who give away free, interesting content. Really hurts the trade pub bottom line, doesn't it? I'm afraid you're the one who looks like the "idiot" here. Does your boss know you troll industry blogs and libel their authors?

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T.W.

5/14/2014 01:35:25 pm

Chill out, dude. We get it. Free blogs cut into your profits by stealing your readership. Maybe if your content wasn't so damned expensive and (sorry) uncreative, readers would not feel the need to go elsewhere. Keryn's readers aren't interested in your "dribble," but your readers are oh so interested in her content because honest opinion isn't something your trade press provides. It would behoove you to play nice with the bloggers like Keryn so that they link to your stuff once in a while instead of trying to drive them off the internet by insulting them and their content. As I see it, you've just demonstrated yourself to be the idiot.

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Opie Taylor

5/14/2014 10:45:12 pm

When are you going to write some stories about how Clean Line has enraged 'Mayberry' to create a national eminent domain issue Aaron?

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Keryn

5/14/2014 11:30:53 am

Wow, Aaron Larson, it appears that Y-O-U read my blog, so what does that say about you?

Were you trying to hurt my fee-fees or stop me from making blog posts? Sorry. You failed. I don't have time to deal with your uncreative literary diarrhea... I'm busy writing another blog post against Clean Line!

Like she states, generation near the demand is most logical. Yes, it is news worthy when she states Senator Alexander and Representative Frincher have taken an interest in Clean Line's attempted abuse of Section 1222.

It's also interesting and Senator and Representative have taken an interest when other Representatives lack the courage to get in this fight. Thank you Mr. Senator and Mr. Representative.

If you've read anything else on this site, you would see that Keryn is pretty damn consistent in supporting the idea of distributed generation. And certainly generally supportive of renewables over fossil fuels.

But that doesn't mean perpetuating the same tired business models that give corporations the "right" to plunder ratepayers or run roughshod over landowners. It doesn't mean opposing Big Oil and Big Coal, only to replace it with Big Wind.

I notice you completely ignore that Clean Line is a private, for-profit enterprise that is looking to have it both ways - privatizing all the profits while claiming it should have the same eminent domain authority as utilities under Sec. 1222.

But I understand why you would disparage the blog. It must be hard working for a trade publication that by definition only preaches to the choir, while there are bloggers on the Internet who refuse to follow establishment doctrine ... Does Clean Line advertise in your pub?

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Captain Trips

5/15/2014 02:19:20 am

ROFLMSWAO

Grow up y'all.

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Keryn

5/15/2014 02:27:48 am

Oh, it's the Captain of Internet Acronyms telling people who speak in full sentences to "grow up." Now I'm truly offended (as Aaron tried but failed to achieve). What? No more rants about how wind is bad and we need more base load coal plants? I'm disappointed in you, Captain.

Dear Mr. Larson,
Surely you're not trying to say Mayberry that "Clean" Line projects are "needed" to keep the lights on? Come on, even Gomer has that one figured out.

And really- people with "no lives"?? Would that be before or after "Clean" Line RUINS their lives by shoving unnecessary HVDC lines through their income and investments.

P.S. Opie says "Do your homework."

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Captain Trips

5/15/2014 10:23:13 pm

On 1/17/14 Keryn commented: "I don't think Cap'n Kangaroo likes wind, Patience. He certainly hasn't kept up with industry news that tells us that widely dispersed wind collected and injected at certain points, especially offshore wind, can be depended on as a resource."

On 5/14/14 Keryn commented: "Oh, and... nanny, nanny, boo boo"

'nuff said.

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Keryn

5/15/2014 11:41:54 pm

Oh, are we going to do the... "but you said" thing? Okay... here's what Captain said once a long time ago that I think s/he should have said again here: "I pay taxes. I just don’t like it when some of my tax money goes to line the dollar green pockets of wind developers whose business model relies on government subsidies to be profitable. And the high cost of wind power [research the Cape Wind Project - 18 to 21 cents per kilowatt hour (or higher if gov’t subsidies don’t come through) vs the 9 or 10 cents per kwh that you are paying] hurts the low income families the most; which in the long run increases everyone else’s taxes again." So, Captain, which is it? Do you like Clean Line's Plains & Eastern Project as a reliable and cheap source for the TVA or not? I think that's the real question in this blog post. Do the representatives have a point with their questions, or are they just political grandstanding? Or, is it a combination of both? Which points are logical and which are just fluff?

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Captain Trips

5/16/2014 02:40:46 am

No, I don’t like the Clean Line’s project because I don’t believe that it will be either cheap or reliable. And it certainly won’t do much to help meet TVA’s peak power demand and it won’t eliminate base load nukes or coal. It would just idle some gas peakers or combined cycle units.

I was just confused because on 1/17 I thought that you were advocating FOR “widely dispersed wind” and now you’re ‘agin’ it.

The politico’s DO have a point in their questions. I believe that it’s about time that politicians demonstrate a concern for their constituents and jump on the Slow-Down-Sierra-Club train. Note: I said “Slow-Down”, not “Stop” because I believe that their altruistic goals can be accomplished, but not by their time frame or tactics and not at a high cost.

Maybe you agree because on 11/17/13 you blogged: “At a meeting last week, I mentioned that I was not going to renew my Sierra Club membership this year because I disagree with the direction the club's leadership has taken recently. To my surprise, the sentiment went around the table, with several others volunteering that they had also cancelled their memberships, or were planning to do so.”

(Hey, here’s a suggestion for a blog topic: How and why the Green Companies support the Sierra Club”)

Finally, I don’t think that you should sink to the Larson level of name calling.

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Keryn

5/16/2014 03:06:38 am

We do agree on a lot of things, Captain. I do believe that widely dispersed wind, especially offshore wind that has a higher capacity factor and is more reliable, can be a part of our energy future. Of course, this doesn't mean I like Clean Line either, for a lot of the same reasons you don't. It's really not meant as a contradiction, but we don't have to reject wind in its entirety because some opportunists have concocted a bad plan.

I will take your blog suggestion at some point in the future. It's all part of the "green" glittering generality that the public has swallowed.

Larson was never here (according to his boss) so we'll just forget his little rant ;-)

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About the Author

Keryn Newman blogs here at StopPATH WV about energy issues, transmission policy, misguided regulation, our greedy energy companies and their corporate spin.In 2008, AEP & Allegheny Energy's PATH joint venture used their transmission line routing etch-a-sketch to draw a 765kV line across the street from her house. Oooops! And the rest is history.

AboutStopPATH Blog

StopPATH Blog began as a forum for information and opinion about the PATH transmission project. The PATH project was abandoned in 2012, however, this blog was not.

StopPATH Blog continues to bring you energy policy news and opinion from a consumer's point of view. If it's sometimes snarky and oftentimes irreverent, just remember that the truth isn't pretty. People come here because they want the truth, instead of the usual dreadful lies this industry continues to tell itself. If you keep reading, I'll keep writing.